You’re probably aware that loud noises have the potential to damage your hearing. Depending on the volume of the noise, your proximity to the source and how long you were exposed, the damage may range from temporary to gradual to instantaneous. Being vigilant about hearing health when exposed to noise is essential, so let’s discuss some signs to watch for.
How Loud Noise Damages Hearing
Inside the cochlea (the central hearing organ, located in the inner ear), there are thousands of tiny sensory cells that are responsible for collecting and transmitting sound information to the brain. When these cells are damaged, hearing loss occurs. These cells are shaped like tiny hairs (hence they’re commonly referred to as “hair cells”), and they wave and ripple in response to sound waves.
Loud noise can damage these delicate cells due to the size and force of the sound wave. Think of the hair cells as trees and the sound waves as a strong wind: an exceptionally strong wind can knock trees down, and some less-strong winds can also bend or break them if it blows for several hours straight.
Temporary Hearing Loss from Loud Noise Exposure
In some cases, hearing loss from exposure to loud noise is temporary. There are two ways this can happen:
- As a stress response, the body reacts to a loud noise by constricting blood vessels in the ear, slowing blood flow to the hair cells and essentially taking them offline. By powering them down in this manner, the sound waves roll right over the hair cells rather than damage them.
- The sound wave bends the hair cells, but the damage isn’t sufficient to completely break them, and they’re able to slowly recover. To go back to a plant-like analogy, imagine you stomped on a patch of grass: some of the blades are able to spring back up, while others take a while to right themselves.
It’s important to note that, should one of these two scenarios occur, that doesn’t mean that your hearing is completely fine after the loud noise. The hair cells may retain some trauma and be more easily damaged next time, or they may suffer from a prolonged lack of blood flow and die off.
Warning Signs of Noise-Induced Hearing Damage
Some of the most common early warning signs include:
- Sounds seem muffled
- Inability to hear high-pitched sounds
- Sensitivity to loud sounds
- Difficulty hearing background noise
- Tinnitus
All of these indicate that less sound information from the cochlea is reaching the brain, meaning that damage to the hair cells has been done.
These symptoms may be temporary at first and go away after a few days, but as mentioned, that doesn’t mean that damage didn’t occur. Unlike most cells in your body, hair cells are unable to heal or regenerate, so any damage is permanent.
What to Do If You Notice Warning Signs of Hearing Damage
Your first line of defense is hearing protection. Protect your hearing whenever you’re in a loud environment (such as a concert or working with power tools) by wearing earplugs or earmuffs, and take breaks from loud noise whenever possible.
You should also have your hearing tested after exposure to loud noise, especially if you’re regularly around it, such as in a loud work environment (machine shop, musician). In our noisy world, noise-induced hearing loss is on the rise, so don’t take for granted how loud things can get and be proactive about your hearing health. Call Decibel Hearing Services today to schedule a hearing test.